Page 40 of Something Blue

Ipull the curtain closed angrily.

“They are still out there.” I say, frustrated at their heartlessness.

“The reporters will always chase the story, Neve.” Luke says, not sounding bothered in the least. “Besides, our family needs sympathy now. If the media can give us that my campaign might take off again.” He huffs.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I shout. “That’s all you care about? The media, the campaign, what people think - you sound like dad and look where that got him.” Tears spike the back of my eyes and the flood down my cheeks. I can’t believe Luke is talking about this when our father only died twodays ago - and since then the media hasnotbeen sympathetic.

I pick up yesterday’s newspaper and slam it down on the table in front of Luke.

“Hey, I’m trying to work here.” He snaps.

“Does that look like sympathy to you?” I growl, pointing at the front-page article about my father and the massive amounts of debt he was actually in - showing how deep his bad habits went. We had no idea. We didn’t know he was into hookers, drugs or gambling. But his bank accounts and the trust accounts and - well - our entire lives - are now fucked.

He took everything from us and died, leaving us with less than nothing.

“We are going to be homeless in less than a month if I don’t pull something together for this campaign.” Luke shouts angrily. “Can’t you see that. We don’t have any other options, Neve. This is it. This is our way out.”

“Bullshit. Politics destroyed this family. I say we sell everything - clear the debt - take whatever little we have left over and start again. We don’thave to have this big, crazy life, staked by cameras every time we blink - we can be normal.”

Luke laughs.

“We will never be normal, Neve. Do you really want that, anyway? A boring life. A quiet life?”

I sigh, brushing away my tears with the palm of my hand. “I want - I don’t wantthis.”I gesture towards the window, the closed curtains hiding fifty reporters camped outside the house.

“Well, you have this, and you have to learn to deal with it.” Luke snaps.

I shake my head. He’s exactly like my father. Identical. Cold. Using the campaign to numb any emotions he might dare to feel.

I walk over to my brother and place my hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t do what dad did, ok.” I sigh, squeezing his shoulder.

“What do you mean?” he asks, abrupt and annoyed.

“Don’t forget that you have people who love you.Don’t get so lost in the campaigns that it’s the only thing you care about.”

He brushes my hand off his shoulder. “Grow up, Neve. Look around. It’s too late for that. We are about to loseeverything.” He shouts.

“Not everything. We still have each other.”

He huffs, an indignant snort. “What good is that if we are living on the streets?”

“Luke—”

“Leave me alone. I need to work. You aren’t helping anything.”

“If there was something I could do you know I would do it.” I say tightly.

“Is that so?” he asks. His brows raised.

“I’ve always wanted to help with the campaigns. Dad never let me.”

“Well, I might take you up on that offer.” Luke says, his eyes turned down towards his laptop. The way he says it makes my skin crawl.

I’m losing my brother.

Sighing I shake my head. I lost my brother years ago when my father started grooming him to be who he is right now. Ruthlessly committed to the campaign.

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